1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special-Roadster | © Favcars.com

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special-Roadster

Released at the Paris Motor Show in 1936, the 540K became a flagship Mercedes-Benz and was built by special order only. It followed the eight cylinder 500K and helped maintain Mercedes-Benz as a prestige marque that produced the fastest production automobiles in the world.

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special-Roadster | © Favcars.com

Each car was individually built to customer’s needs and Mercedes-Benz prepared a range of available bodies. Among these were the spectacular Spezial-Roadsters built by Mercedes-Benz’s own Karrosserie Sindelfingen. These flowing two-seat roadsters were one of the most striking prewar designs, easily distinguished by their prominent hood, sweeping fenders, recessed grill, external exhaust pipes, raked windscreen and extreme length. They are arguably the most beautiful German supercars and have a commanding presence.

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special-Roadster | © Favcars.com

The 540K was equipped with an enlarged 5.4 liter inline-8 which was good for was good for 180hp and 170 kph. The main highlight of the engine was its gear driven, Rootes-type supercharger (or Kompressor) that could spool up on demand to increase the power from 115bhp to 180bhp. This setup was a similar to the supercharged S, SS and SSK racecars which were designed by Ferdinand Porsche to help Mercedes-Benz dominate racing in the twenties.